Zinedine Zidane schedules Eden Hazard transfer meeting in Abu Dhabi

Zinedine Zidane will finally give the green light to Real Madrid’s move for Eden Hazard in a transfer meeting with president Florentino Perez this week, according to reports.

The French manager is a long-time fan of the Chelsea winger, though had previously felt the addition of another ‘Galactico’ could disrupt the balance of his Real squad.

But now Mundo Deportivo report that Zidane and Perez will hold a major transfer meeting in Abu Dhabi in the coming days to decide their targets for the forthcoming windows.

And Zidane wants Real to make a huge play for Hazard, though would ideally get through the rest of the season with his ‘BBC’ attack – of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano – before shaking things up in the summer.

The Real boss is a huge fan of Hazard and has spoken highly of him in the past, while Hazard gave a recent interview in which he talked up the prospect of playing under the World Cup winner.

He told Belgian TV channel RTL: ‘Everyone knows the respect I have for Zidane as a player, but also as a manager. He was my idol.

‘I do not know what will happen in the future. However, for sure, to play under Zidane would be a dream.’

Zidane believes Hazard is the perfect replacement for Gareth Bale should the Welshman return to the Premier League, and wants Hazard to be the ‘brain’ of the attack.

Bale has spent much of this season on the sidelines and Real feel they can no longer rely on him, but in Hazard the club – and Zidane – believe they would have a player who could be their own Lionel Messi, and provide a massive leap in quality.

Zidane had previously been reluctant to target Hazard as it would affect the development of Marco Asensio and create more competition with Isco and Dani Ceballos.

But that stance has changed – while another member of the BBC, Ronaldo, could also leave the Bernabeu – and now Zidane will tell Perez to make Hazard the club’s No.1 target.